HOME: Igor Abramovich: Who will "saw" the money for Kharkiv's restoration? Part 1
Igor Abramovich: Who will "saw" the money for Kharkiv's restoration? Part 2
Fuks and Khomutynnik: gas scams
The most secretive chapter in Igor Abramovich's biography is his energy business. It's common knowledge that he headed and was a shareholder in companies involved in gas, coal, and electricity, but details of how he came to own them are not publicly available. This, however, is typical of Kharkiv oligarchs, who never flaunted their gas wells in public. For example, gas was heavily involved. Kernes и Avakov — How many people knew about this?
After gaining management experience as deputy chairman of the board of the AVEC concern, Igor Abramovich became president and co-owner of DV Oil and Gas Production Company LLC (34181461) in 2015. The exact percentage of shares Abramovich owned remains unknown, but he controls the company. Pavel Fuks, who just bought it from her in 2015 Yuri BoykoMoreover, this company was not involved in gas, or even oil, but in coal mining and electricity generation at the Chuguev Thermal Power Plant-2 "Eskhar", which was handed over to this company. in concession For 49 years (until 2060). Why Fuks brought Igor Abramovich into the management of the newly acquired company, and even gave him a stake, is unknown. Perhaps Alexander Abramovich made the request on behalf of his son?
But he didn't manage this company for long; just a year later, he moved to the presidency of INTER ENERGY GROUP IEG (38951037). Abramovich's biography describes it beautifully: "a supplier of high-tech integrated solutions that ensure the efficient operation of companies in the oil and gas, energy, and transportation industries" and so on, blah, blah, blah! But two facts remain "behind the scenes": that this company was founded in 2013 by Alexander Abramovich, who is its sole beneficiary, and that its main activities are wholesale trade in cars, brokerage services for a wide range of goods, and the purchase and sale and leasing of real estate. So much for "high technology"!
But Igor Abramovich only spent about a year in his father's office, after which, from 2017 to 2019, he "was engaged in developing his own business," as stated in his biography. What exactly he was developing is not specified; Ukrainians are simply asked to believe in his economic genius (four diplomas, no joke!). However, a number of media outlets covered Igor Abramovich's frenetic activity during that period: for example, it was revealed that, as Pavel Fuks' right-hand man, he was engaged in registration of special permits For gas and condensate production for a number of companies. These were processed by the State Geological Service, which was then overseen by Fuchs's office, and were processed with gross violations—which subsequently attracted the attention of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). However, Fuchs and Abramovich skillfully covered their tracks, saying, "We have nothing to do with these companies, boss, we swear on our mothers!" And they got away with it again, just like the story surrounding the Mayorovskoye field. As a reminder, journalists in the Verkhovna Rada photographed correspondence between Fuchs and Abramovich, in which they discussed a certain "plan for DTEK that worked." As it turned out, Akhmetov's company had expressed interest in this field, and Fuchs and Abramovich decided to help him for their own benefit.
Correspondence between Pavel Fuks and Igor Abramovich
Apparently, the same services were used on their part by Vitaly KhomutynnikIn 2015, they jointly founded UkrgazInvest LLC (40001476), engaged in gas and oil production and "engineering activities." Abramovich owned his half directly, Khomutynnik through the Kaskad-Invest fund. In fact, this is currently Igor Abramovich's only company, lending him the image of a major gas businessman. However, until 2020, its fund held zero hryvnias, and only then did Khomutynnik and Abramovich each contribute 50,000 hryvnias—not much for a company aiming to produce gas and engage in engineering. This is hardly surprising: according to sources, UkrgazInvest produces absolutely nothing and is simply a shell company through which Khomutynnik carries out various schemes surrounding Ukrnaftoburinia PJSC, which he co-owns with Kolomoisky.
Igor Abramovich. The dancing "servant of the people" is terrorizing the region.
His sister, Nina Aleksandrovna Abramovich (born 1997), receives little media attention these days, save for occasional glimpses into anti-corruption investigations. But things used to be different: as a child and teenager, she was a serious student of dancesport, and in 2013, she took first place in the "rising stars" category at the World Dance Sport Federation Championships in Kyiv. The successes of 16-year-old Nina Abramovich and her 20-year-old dance partner, Dmitry Olegovich Palchenkov (born 1993), were widely reported at the time.
A few years later, Nina Abramovich became a co-owner of Kharkiv's "House of Projects," where dance lessons are taught to other children. She was helped in this endeavor by funds not only from her father and grandfather, but also from her husband, the same Dmitry Palchenkov. Only now, the former dance student has become a big shot! Back in the spring of 2019, by decree of the head of the State Architectural Inspectorate (GISI), Sergei Kuzmin25-year-old Palchenkov was appointed acting head of the department in the Kharkiv region. This appointment raised many indignant questions, most notably, why was such a responsible position given to such a young man with no relevant experience? Moreover, by that time, the Kharkiv region's GISI department was already known as a cesspool of corruption—largely thanks to its previous "mistress," Yevgeniya Sergeyevna Ivanskaya (born 1980).
Evgeniya Ivanskaya
Since 2017, she held the position of deputy director, and was known not only for “ticketing” Kharkiv developers, but also for the fact that in April 2019 she actually tried seize the position of director! Although Ivanskaya failed, she still managed the regional GISI until Palchenkov's appointment—who, according to media reports, kindly negotiated with her on the distribution of corrupt funds. Naturally, she didn't forget to "bring" a portion of the profits to Kyiv—which reported Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Architecture Viktor Gleba.
Igor Abramovich: Who will "saw" the money for Kharkiv's restoration? Part 2
With the change of power in the summer and fall of 2019, corruption didn't go away; it just took on a new, more glamorous appearance. Although Prime Minister Honcharuk scandalously dismissed Serhiy Kuzmin, the leadership of the Kharkiv department of the State Institute of Civil Engineering merely reshuffled: Ivankova became director, and Palchenkov her deputy. Then, in February 2020, Honcharuk dismissed Ivankova and reappointed Palchenkov was appointed director of the GISI department, tasking him with "restoring order." And he did! Palchenkov's "new order" sent shivers down the spine of businesses in the Kharkiv region, besieged by corrupt extortions from the GISI side. At the same time, Palchenkov attracted into their schemes of local activists, closely connected with crime and the prosecutorial mafia:
"Palchonkov is using the standard procedure of filing complaints from concerned citizens. The NGO 'Opora,' known for its involvement in corporate raids under the guise of the local prosecutor's office, is joining the process. This organization is led by two interesting characters—Andrey Gagun and Artem Kukhtin."
When reappointing Palchenkov as head of the regional GISI, Goncharuk knew full well that he had first held this position under Groysman and Kuzmin, that he had "worked well" with Evgenia Ivankova and learned many of the intricacies of corruption from her, and that he was the son-in-law of the notorious Opposition Platform—For Life member Igor Abramovich. But none of this bothered Goncharuk or the other "servants of the people," who welcomed Palchenkov with open arms into the ranks of "Ze!Team" and ensured his candidacy in the local elections. Clearly, with such a son-in-law, Igor Abramovich has nothing to fear from the current government, and corrupt officials associated with him will always have access to the treasury!
However, the relationship between Igor Abramovich and the "servants of the people" was friendly and productive even without Palchenkov's involvement. the negotiations testified Abramovich and the head of the Servant of the People faction, David Arakhamia, in September 2021. Journalists then drew attention to a third participant in this meeting, also a "servant of the people" and member of the parliamentary energy committee, Ostap Shipailo, who then left in Abramovich's car. What they discussed remained a secret. But the fact that Igor Abramovich so quickly left the Opposition Platform - For Life party on the very first day of the war and then received Bankova's blessing to create a new parliamentary group speaks volumes.
Incidentally, this government didn't offend the notorious corrupt official Evgeniya Ivanska either. In November 2020, by order of Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleksiy Kucher (now the head of the Regulatory Service of Ukraine), she was appointed Director of the Regional State Administration's Capital Construction Department. But since no one had held that position for more than a few months, the experienced Ivanska quickly moved up to his deputy position—a position she's happily holding to this day, having already outlived two dismissed directors and taken control of the schemes and financial flows. Considering the volume of reconstruction work being carried out in the Kharkiv region after the devastation of war, this position is a veritable gold mine for such corrupt officials and opportunists!
Mikhail Shpolyansky, for Skelet.Org
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